Luther’s POV

*****

Bloodoak Academy, 9:12 PM

When the killer took Miss Benedicta and then a random cleaner, he didn’t imagine for a second that they’d come for someone close to them. Let alone... Willow.

He might not have been close with her personally but he had memories. And remembered just how fiercely the girl stood beside Celeste, defending her genuinely with no ulterior motives.

Now she was gone.

Celeste wasn’t about to let that death go in vain. And the moon forbids he doesn’t help her in whatever she had planned.

So when night fell in the academy and she told him and the others who she suspected among the professors, he didn’t just believe her. He was eager to prove that Professor Amelia truly was a cancer hiding in the school all this time.

"You’ve been behind it from the start," Celeste mumbled in the darkness of the professor’s living quarters, her eyes glowing with a faint silver light. "Haven’t you?"

Luther and the boys surrounded the Professor like wolves circling prey. The door was shut behind her. Every other escape point was blocked off.

She was trapped.

"Celeste," the woman’s expression still remained calm despite all these odds. Too bloody calm. "I’m telling you, this is a mistake. Your accusations are grave and I don’t think your mother—"

The flames between Azrael’s fingers, their only source of illumination, died as a massive wind rushed into the room. Everyone else froze as Celeste’s eyes flared darker:

"Fucking mention my mother and anyone I care about again. Just dare it. I promise to paint these walls with your entrails."

Luther stared at her, mouth parted.

The voice that left her wasn’t his mate’s. Not fully at least. It was distorted, layered with other voices that sent shivers crawling down his spine.

Meanwhile, Professor Amelia didn’t look all that stunned by Celeste’s sudden outburst. She rather appeared marvelled, blinking speechlessly.

"Unable to say anything?" Atlas quickly took over the interrogative reins. "It’s all true so drop the act. The cleaner’s ghost mentioned a ’she’. You’ve been beside the Dean from day one, close enough to his documents and other important files."

Azrael inputted. "Then the wards. A tweak here and there should be enough for anyone with a brain and who’s seen the Dean operate them to change things drastically. Or even temporarily steal control."

The professor’s jaw tightened. "Mr Vaelmont—"

"You’ve been beside the Dean during every important decision he made about us," Luther’s knuckles cracked. "There to guide his next moves. Make sure the conditions were always right to trigger something new connected to Celeste and the bonds."

Her features twitched. "You boys... You give me too much credit—" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In a flash, Luther ignored every instinct and closed the distance between them. He grabbed her by the collar, watching her eyes bulge with horror as he lifted her effortlessly off the floor.

He snarled, eyes flashing with a predatory light. "Admit all you’ve done. The gig is fucking up, professor." His wolf stirred in his chest, threatening to tear out. "Will you start talking or—"

"You’re right," the professor’s feet suddenly stopped dangling, her face snapping into a cold mask that startled him. "The gig is up—so help me, marked one."

Luther’s frown deepened.

Marked one? Now who the hell was—?

A hand on his shoulder made him pause. He blinked once, head angling back to see who it was. He had an odd feeling before his eyes met those hazel orbs.

Yet nothing could’ve prepared him for the gut punch that hit him when he took in that face. The face who’s been with him most of his life.

"S–Silas?" He bit back a gasp, fingers loosening from Amelia’s collar. "What are you—?"

An empty light glinted in his brother’s eyes as he spun him violently around. Amelia dropped from the Alpha’s grip, the latter unable to react in time to what happened next.

BAM!

Silas punched Luther square in the jaw, making him stagger until he crashed into the wall beside the door. His vision blurred, and the metallic taste of his blood filled his tongue.

"Luther!" Celeste and Atlas screamed in unison, the former rushing to his side.

Silas’s back straightened, his undone buttons revealing his chest. And the once normal-looking tattoo which now glowed with a blinding silver light.

However, under the same breath, the silver light darkened, and the image of the serpent coiling around a crescent moon moved.

"Naive little fools." Amelia snorted, dusting herself as she walked to Silas’ side. "You really thought it would be that easy to get me? Thought you could just come into my space and get me to confess?"

Luther stayed sitting on the floor, his fingers trembling as Celeste grabbed his blood-stained chin. His ears rang, emotions he couldn’t name swirling in his chest.

Could this be... confusion? Betrayal?

His own brother...

"Ah ah ah." Amelia raised a finger when Azrael was about to strike her with a fire attack. "I won’t do that if I were you. If I die, your dear Beta goes with me."

Azrael’s hand shook midair, his head moving to Atlas beside him. Both men didn’t say anything but the looks on their faces were enough.

Amelia chuckled darkly, strutting away from the group while still keeping her gaze on them. "I’m surprised someone as long-lived as yourself didn’t figure it out sooner, Azrael." She cooed. "I guess being a millennium-old vampire doesn’t make you invincible."

Silence stretched through the room, the only sound being Luther’s shaking breath.

There it was.

Another person acknowledging the word Azrael called himself back in Montecito, which he didn’t believe. Still, now that it was out... the reveal felt flat.

Compared to his brother’s betrayal anyway.

"What do you want?" Celeste rose back to her feet, her tone firm as ever. "What’s your endgame here? Did Nyx send you?"

Amelia didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, she grinned, eyes travelling between Luther and Silas.

"This goes beyond all that you think you understand, little princess," she finally muttered. "You’ve escaped the inevitable for so long. And I have just one question..."

Shadows began creeping around her, thickening as the wind carried her hair. Her chin rose, arms spreading beside her.

"... How long can you evade it?"

And just like that, the shadows swallowed her form. She disappeared instantly, leaving behind Silas and an awkward silence.

Luther watched his brother fall to his knees, the glow of the tattoo on his chest dulling like a dying firefly. He blinked erratically, brows furrowed like he wasn’t conscious of all that had happened just now.

His lips parted slightly. "...What... did I do?"